Loving Jacob Black
by Permanent Rose
Summary: /Leah Clearwater was the last person I ever expected to fall in love with. Until this point, I had thought of her as a self-centered irritable harpy. Heck, I barley even considered her a girl. But suddenly, she was all that mattered/ JacobXLeah
1. Chapter 1

Update: A/N: I started writing this before Breaking Dawn came out and I'm not about to change it to make it align with Stephenie Meyer's twisted plot. So bascially it starts right after Eclipse and continues from there.

Summary: Jacob Black isn't taking Bella's transformation very well. Leah Clearwater, tormenter to everyone in the pack, is the last person he ever expects to show compassion. When Jacob finds himself falling in love with Leah, he finds out there is a lot more to her than he expected.

_Chapter I_

**Jacob's POV:**

The rain poured down relentlessly, soaking me to the bone. The thick canopy of the forest offered very little protection considering the intensity of the downpour. I curled up in a ball at the base of a large hemlock tree, burying my snout in my rusty brown fur. I closed my eyes, listening to the constant patter of the rain.

I tried to forget.

I shivered, wishing that the sun would shine for once in this damn town. It began to rain harder. Somewhere in the distance, thunder rumbled. I rose to my feet, shaking the rain from my fur like a dog. I glanced around the dripping forest, looking for a drier place. There was none. I collapsed on the ground again in defeat.

There was no forgetting.

It had been a week since the wedding, the wedding that I had not attended. A week since they had left, _she _had left. A week was long enough for her to disappear completely from my life, long enough for the dreaded transformation to take place, long enough for her to become my enemy.

The rain eventually began to fade. Dull beams of sunlight began to appear between the patches of leaves. A peaceful silence filled the forest. For a minute, I allowed myself to savor that peace, to let go of my anguish.

_JACOB BLACK! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? _The angry words filled my mind, as loud as if they had actually been spoken.

Damn. A small grey wolf headed towards me. Leah. She made no effort to mask her fury. Sam had sent her, no doubt.

_Just go away. _Even to me, my words did not seem very convincing.

_Jake, you have to stop this. Sam told me to come get you. _

So I was right. Why couldn't Sam just back down for once?

_Because you're being pathetic and self-centered. You have to get over it. Do you know how annoying it is to see Bella's face every time we phase? _

I winced at the casual use of Bella's name. I had been avoiding it.

_See? _I could've sworn I saw a smile form on the snout of the small grey wolf. _You can't even think her name how pathetic you are. Even I wasn't that bad with Sam._

At once, I saw the pain she would've been easily able to mask if she had been in human form. Despite what she said, she was clearly not over Sam yet. At least she wasn't as bad as she used to be. Seeing Sam without any clothes had never really thrilled the pack.

Leah snarled as I remembered her memories.

_Look, can we just get out of here? Sam told me I wasn't allowed to leave until I got you to come with me. _She was clearly irritated. As she paced back and forth, she began humming 'It's a Small World' over and over in her head, no doubt trying to annoy me. It was obvious she was not going to leave me alone until she completed her mission.

It took her less than two minutes.

_Oh fine! _I caved. Not only was Leah getting on my nerves, but I was also extremely hungry.

If a wolf could appear smug, Leah definitely pulled it off. _I think Emily's cooking burgers for dinner. And I __know __that's your favourite._

I involuntarily began to lick my lips.

_Let's get going, _Leah urged, disappearing into the forest. I quickly caught up with her. We ran at a brisk pace back toward the reservation. We stopped in a small clearing by Sam's house to phase. The sight of Leah's naked body didn't bother me as much as it used to. She was beginning to feel like, well, a sister.

As soon as I had phased, I realised that in my state of anger, I had forgotten a pair of shorts. Embarrassed, I crouched down to phase back into wolf form until we got to Sam's house, but before I could phase, I felt something hit my face. A pair of shorts.

I turned to look at Leah, who was pulling a thin t-shirt over her torso.

"I have a little brother. I know how stupid boys can be," she smiled at me.

"Thanks." I returned the smile, pulling on the shorts.

For a moment I almost forgave her. It wasn't really her fault anyway. Sam was the real culprit, the one who bossed everyone around and never let anyone have their space.

"Ew, Jake, when was the last time you took a shower?" Leah wrinkled her nose as I approached her. "You stink."

I grinned sheepishly, trying to remember the last time I had bathed.

The smell of grilling burgers and greasy bacon greeted us as we entered Sam's house. My stomach rumbled loudly. Leah grinned.

As we entered the kitchen, Emily greeted us, beaming.

"You guys are back already?" she seemed surprised, probably because I was usually so stubborn. "The rest of the pack should be here in about half an hour."

Apparently Sam had expected me to put up more of a fight.

"So are you feeling better, Jacob?" Emily came over to give me a hug. She stopped before she could even get her arms around me. "Get upstairs and take a shower immediately. There will be no food for you until you smell decent." She could be so much like a mother sometimes.

I groaned, my stomach rumbling again. I headed up the steps to the bathroom, figuring the quicker I showered, the sooner I'd be able to eat. Though I showered quickly, I took care to use a lot of soap. Knowing Emily, she'd send me right back upstairs if I didn't clean myself thoroughly.

I dressed quickly in one of Sam's outfits (Since we were all around the same size, we often swapped clothes when necessary.) I headed down the steps a bit too eagerly in spite of myself. I stopped short, though, just before entering the living room.

Leah and Sam we sitting on the couch, their heads close together, whispering furtively.

"—and thanks for volunteering to get Jake today. I hope he didn't give you too much trouble," I heard Sam say.

Wait. Since when had Leah volunteered to get me? She had made it seem like it was Sam's orders.

"He wasn't too terrible, surprisingly. And I was glad to do it. You know, I do understand how he's feeling." She shot Sam a significant look. He turned away, looking embarrassed.

I began to cogitate this information. Leah was feeling sorry for _me_? She had quite an odd way of showing it, considering the way she had treated me this afternoon.

They exchanged a few more whispers, too quiet for me to hear. After a moment, they both rose and headed for the kitchen. When I was sure the coast was clear, I joined them.

"I think your skin went a whole shade lighter," said Emily, smiling. She came over to give me a hug. "Much better. Now you smell like my cherry body wash."

I made a face, and Leah giggled.

Sam approached me, a serious look on his face. "Jacob, you have to stop running off like this. Bella's gone. She made her choice. You have to accept that."

I wanted to slap him, and I might have if the rest of the pack hadn't come running into the kitchen.

"Are those burgers I smell?" Quil asked eagerly. "Man, am I hungry!"

"You're always hungry," stated Embry, pushing past Quil to get to the chips and dip Emily had put out.

The tension was immediately forgotten as Emily began to hand out burgers. I ended eating the most (six) with Leah following closely behind with five. After eating practically every scrap of food in the house, we all headed back home.

On the way out, Sam shot me a look. "Remember what we talked about, Jacob."

I turned to lunge at him, but Leah blocked me and dragged me to the door.

"That's your cue to leave," Leah whispered, shoving me out the door.

My anger faded as I headed back toward my house, which was all of two minutes away from Sam's.

When I entered through the back door, I saw Dad and Charlie sitting at the kitchen table, finishing up a meal of freshly caught fish.

"Hi Dad. Hi Charlie," I greeted them.

Dad grunted at me. We weren't really on speaking terms these days. He didn't approve of the way I was handling myself lately.

"Hey, Jake," Charlie said, a hint of sadness in his voice. "Have you heard from Bella lately?" he asked almost too hopefully.

"Sorry, no," I told him and added in my head: _But I do know that wherever she is, she is mostly likely a bloodsucking vampire and you'll never see her again._

"Well, its probably stupid of me for worrying. They are on their honeymoon after all. I just thought she would've dropped a quick call home by now." He sighed. Poor Charlie. Bella was practically all he had in this life.

"I'd better be going now," Charlie said, heaving himself up from the table. "Great dinner, Billy. See you guys around."

Dad and Charlie exchanged goodbyes as I headed up stairs to my room. As I crawled into bed, I couldn't help wondering if there was something else I could've done to prevent Bella from choosing the fate that she did.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: So now we get to see what Leah's thinking. My plan is to switch between Jake and Leah every chapter.

Thanks to everyone who reviewed chapter one. I really appreciate your feedback.

Oh, I'm going on a weekend trip and I don't know if I will have internet connection, so it will probably be Monday or Tuesday before I can update next.

_Chapter II_

**Leah's POV:**

"Thanks for staying to help clean up," Emily said as I finished drying the dishes.

"No problem. I helped make most of this mess," I pointed out.

Emily sighed as she wrung out the dishcloth and dried her hands. She turned to face me.

"Come with me," she said, taking my hand and leading me to the couch in the living room. I gave her a slightly confused look as we sat down.

She took a deep breath, as though she didn't know how to begin. "There's something I need to tell you."

I braced myself for the worst. The tone in her voice indicated that she was going to regret what she was about to tell me.

She sucked in a breath. "Sam and I are going to have a baby."

I stopped breathing for a moment. So it wasn't bad news. At least, it was news that wasn't meant to be bad.

Sam and Emily had only been married for a few months now. I wondered how long they had known about the pregnancy. No wonder Sam hadn't been phasing lately, especially around me.

"That's great news, Em," I choked over the words.

My disappointment was evident. It was selfish of me to be upset at this wonderful news. I was supposed to be sharing Emily's joy, not ruining it.

"We thought we'd tell you first, you know, before you found it out from someone else." Emily struggled to find the right words.

_Before I saw it one the wolves' minds, _I corrected in my head. Now good old Sam could get back on patrol duty.

I turned to look at Emily. I had completely ruined the moment for her. Emily and I had been best friends growing up. We had shared each other's up and downs. When something upset Emily, it meant I was upset too. When she received good news, I shared her excitement. From about the time we were about five years old, we had promised to always be there for each other.

It's amazing how much things can change. No matter how much I wanted to blame Emily or Sam for what had happened, none of this was either of their faults. It was just one the cruel things that life throws at you. I was just going to have to be strong and deal with it.

"Really, Em, that's terrific news." My voice was much more confident. I didn't falter over the words.

I leaned in to give her a hug. I would feign happiness if meant making Emily happy. There was no point in fighting the inevitable. I would just have to watch Emily live my dream.

Emily looked as though she was about to burst into tears. My feigned happiness could not hide what I was truly feeling. Emily knew me too well for that.

"I'm so sorry, Leah," she sniffled, tears beginning to pour down her cheeks.

She had nothing to be sorry for. I almost began to cry myself, seeing how much she truly cared.

"Don't cry, Em. This is supposed to be good news. I'm truly, sincerely happy for you and Sam," I told her, but even as I said the words, I could feel tears brimming in the corners of my eyes.

She nodded, wiping her eyes.

"I'd better get home soon. I'll see you tomorrow, Em," I said, not knowing how much longer I could hold up.

She nodded again, and stood up to hug me. As soon as I was out the door, the tears I had been holding in began to pour down my cheeks. I cried so hard that my vision began to blur and I had to stop walking for a moment. I stood by the side of the road like a pathetic idiot for only God knows how long. Finally, my tears ended. I dried my eyes and continued toward my house, which happened to be only about a minute away.

I entered the house quietly, hoping I could avoid my family. I wasn't really in the mood to talk to anyone.

"What took you so long? Everyone else left _ages_ ago," Seth interrogated as soon as I opened the door.

So much for being alone. I sighed, ignoring him.

"Hey, why were you crying?"

Why couldn't he just shut up for once?

"I wasn't crying," I told him flatly.

"Yes you were. Your nose is bright red and your eyes are puffy," he told me. This kid just didn't give up.

"Fine. Don't tell me. I'll find out as soon as we phase anyway," he said, looking sly.

That did it. I lunged toward Seth and tackled him to the ground.

"Leah! Get off!" he screamed, trying to push me away.

Even though he was bigger than me, I was stronger than him. I pinned his arms flat against the ground and dug my knee into his stomach.

"Ow! Leah! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please get off now!" he begged.

After hearing the commotion, my mom entered the room.

"Leah! Seth! You're acting like ten-year-olds! Leah, get off your brother this instant!" Mom's fury was evident.

I gave his stomach one final jab before getting off. He howled in pain.

"What am I going to do with you two?" Mom sighed, shaking her head. "Your father—"

She stopped short, as she always did when Dad came up. I immediately felt bad for being so immature.

"I'm sorry, Mom," I said, giving her a hug.

She wrapped her arms around me, sighing. "It's okay, Leah."

Dad's death had been tough on her, but dealing with two teenage werewolves on top of it made it even worse. I needed to learn how to control my anger.

"I'm sorry, too, Mom," Seth went over to give her a hug, too.

It was funny to see Seth stand next to Mom. About a year ago, he was barely taller than Mom's shoulder. Now he stood at least a foot taller than her.

"Hey, I know what we can do," I said, trying to make amends. "Let's play a game!"

Before either of them could protest, I ran up to my room and grabbed _The Game of Life. _We all piled around the dining room table just like we had done in the good old days.

"I get the blue car!" Seth immediately announced. He always had to have the blue car.

Mom took the white car and I took the red one, which left the green one, the one Dad had always used. No one dared to touch it.

The game turned my thoughts away from the news Emily had told me. It felt good to be carefree, even if it was only for a bit. Playing _Life _with my family made me feel young again. Instead of being the over sized boy who looked more like a man than a kid, Seth became that sweet fourteen year old boy he used to be before the transformation. Mom smiled again, laughing at Seth's stupid jokes and other pointless things. Even I let go of the wall of attitude that I had built up ever since I became part of the pack. For once I was just plain Leah, who had just graduated from high school and was trying to live a normal life.

The only difference was Dad's absence, but no one mentioned it. It would only ruin the moment.

Around eleven o'clock, Mom yawned and announced it was bedtime. Seth was the only one who had made it around the board. His blue car sat beside Millionaire Estates while Mom and I were still trying to make our way to the end.

"We can finish playing tomorrow," Mom said, yawning again.

Seth and I nodded in agreement. We all headed up to bed.

As I crawled into bed, the thoughts I had been avoiding during the game began to invade my mind.

I thought of Sam and Emily and how happy they were together. I thought back to the wedding day. I had been Emily's maid ofn honor. It was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but since it had been for Emily, it had been worth it. I thought of the news Emily had told me tonight. I imagined her and Sam, lying in bed together, arguing about whether the baby would be a girl or a boy and throwing around possible name ideas. And I thought about something that I often thought about. What if it was me and not Emily? I imagined myself walking down the aisle in Emily's gorgeous dress. Sam would be waiting for me there, smiling that way he did at Emily, the way he had used to smile at me, a look of complete adoration in his eyes. And then I thought about having Sam's baby. He would hold me in his arms, a broad smile on his face. He would kiss my stomach where my baby, _our _baby, was growing inside.

I sighed, pulling my mind away from my unrealistic memory. And as I fell asleep, I subconsciously wondered why Sam couldn't have imprinted on me.

* * *

A/N: Special thanks to willywonka5, who gave me the longest review I think is possible (But you never know. Maybe YOU can write one longer than hers ;))


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Just so there is no confusion, neither Jacob or Leah imprinted on each other. According to Stephenie Meyer, imprinting occurs the first time you lay eyes on the person, which obviously did not happen with Leah or Jacob. In my story, they are falling in love the good old fashioned way.

_Chapter III_

**Jacob's POV:**

The next night, I was on patrol duty with Leah, Sam, and Jared. Ever since the Cullens had left, we hadn't run into to any bloodsuckers. Sam always said you could never be too safe, though, so we had been patrolling in small groups nightly.

I was late, due to the fact that I couldn't find a pair of shorts. In the past week, I had phased so many times out of anger that I had destroyed countless articles of clothing. I was running dangerously low on shorts.

Sam and Leah where so preoccupied that they barely even noticed my late arrival. Sam was trying not to think about his baby. But in trying to avoid these thoughts, he began to think about it even more. Images of Emily filled all our minds. Her stomach (which was slightly rounded, but not very noticeably), pictures from the ultra sound, images of Emily we'd rather not see…

Leah snarled. She was busy singing 'It's a Small World' over and over again in her head, blocking her thoughts from the rest of us. As Sam's thoughts become more vivid, Leah's singing got louder and faster.

_It's a small world after all…_

_God these two are getting on my nerves! _Jared was clearly annoyed.

_It's a small world after all…_

I realized for once I was not thinking about Bella. Instead, I was trying not to think about the conversation I had overheard between Leah and Sam last night.

_It's a small world after all…_

As Sam had previously demonstrated, trying _not _to think about something never worked. It only made you think about it more.

_It's a small, small, wo—JACOB BLACK! YOU WERE EAVESDROPPING? _

Leah turned to lunge at me, but Sam stepping in between us, growling angrily.

A string of profanities filled Leah's mind. _I can't believe you would have the nerve! And to think I cared about you!_

She dashed off into the forest, about a hundred yards away. Faintly we could hear, _it's a small world after all, it's a small world after all…_

_Leah, get back here. _Sam's thoughts were surprisingly stoical and controlled. _He would've found out eventually, whether he overhead our conversation or not. You know nothing can be kept a secret within the pack._

_IT'S A SMALL, SMALL WORLD!_

_Leah, _Sam's patience was not lasting.

_IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL! IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL!_

_Leah Clearwater, get over here immediately. There will be consequences if you do not._

Leah continued to ignore Sam. _It's a small world after all… _

Sam snarled. _Just because you're the only girl in this pack doesn't mean I'll let you off easy._

A moment later, Leah returned, still singing.

_I'll deal with you later, Leah. _The anger Sam was feeling pulsed through my veins. Leah had driven him to his wits end.

Leah's excessive singing could not cover the rude comments directed toward Sam.

Sam growled loudly, but refrained from saying anything further.

We continued the rest of the patrol in silence, tension hanging heavily in the air. The only sound was Leah's singing.

By the end of our shift, we were all humming along with Leah.

_Damn it, Leah! Can't you choose a different song? _Jared asked after it was already too late. We all had 'It's a Small World' hopelessly stuck in our heads.

Leah only began to sing louder.

Finally, Embry, Quil, Seth, and Collin came to relieve us. I headed home, exhausted, still humming 'It's a Small World' over and over in my head.

As soon as I walked into the house, I collapsed on the couch. I could hear Dad's loud snores coming from his open bedroom door. Almost immediately, I fell into long, dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Jake, phone's for you."

Dad's voice pulled me away from my slumber. I squinted at the clock that hung on the wall opposite me. 10:43. I groaned.

"It's too early to wake up," I mumbled, rolling over onto my stomach.

"Jake you're wasting the day away. It's about time you woke up. Plus, I'm getting kind of sick of hearing you sing 'It's a Small World' in your sleep," Dad said, throwing the portable phone at me so it hit me in the head.

He headed for the kitchen, whistling 'It's a Small World' quietly to himself.

I picked up the phone, not even giving a thought to who it might me.

"Hullo?" I mumbled sleepily.

"Hey, Jake," responded a familiar voice.

"Leah?" Why the heck was she calling me?

"Yeah. Listen, I was wondering if, you know, wanted to go do something with me today," she said, stumbling over her words.

Was I hearing her correctly? Just last night she had been furious with me and now she was calling to ask me to do something with her? She was the most bipolar person I had ever met.

"Jake? Are you still there?" she asked.

"Yeah, but I'm sorta confused," I replied, still trying to make sense of her mysterious kindness.

"Yeah, I know this is kinda strange coming from me, but I just want to say I'm sorry for the way I acted last night. It was really immature of me. Anyway, I thought we could drive down to Port Angeles today and go shopping. I know how much you need so new clothes."

I was speechless. Leah was beyond bipolar. I didn't know what to say.

"Jake, would you please say something?"

"Sorry, I'm still kinda waking up. Sure, I'll go," I said, giving in. What harm could it bring? And Leah was right. I really did need some new clothes.

"Great. I'll pick you up in about half an hour, okay?" she said, her voice oddly cheerful.

"Okay," I said as she hung up the phone.

I just sat there for a moment longer, listening to the dial tone, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

"What did Leah want?" Dad asked as I walked into the kitchen.

"She wants me to go shopping with her in Port Angeles today," I told him.

He raised his eyebrows. "I didn't know you and Leah were friends. That's nice of her, though. You really do need some new clothes."

He surprised me by pulling a fifty out of his wallet and handing it to me. I stared at him in disbelief. Everything that had happened this morning was beyond my comprehension. I subconsciously wondered if I was still asleep.

"Um, thanks, Dad," I said, taking the money.

He smiled. "Go have some fun today."

"I'll try," I told him.

I didn't really know if it was possible to have fun with Leah. Considering past experiences with her, we'd probably end up phasing in the middle of a store.

I quickly dressed in the one of the few outfits I had left. About half an hour later, the doorbell rang.

I hurried to answer it. I gasped as I opened the door.

There stood Leah, but she wasn't the same Leah I was used to seeing. Typically, Leah wore a pair of cut off shorts and an old t-shirt. She never took the time to do her hair. It was usually pulled back in a messy bun. She had become so much part of the pack that we had begun to think of her as, well, almost a guy just like the rest of us.

That was not the Leah who stood before me. _This_ Leah was pretty. She wore a jean skirt with a pink tank top and a little white jacket over top. She had straightened her hair and took the time to put on make up.

"What?" she asked, the angry tone I was used back in her voice. "You look like you've never seen a woman before."

"It just—well, you look really nice today," I could feel my cheeks color slightly as I said the words.

Leah blushed, too, unsure of what to say. We headed over to the rickety old pickup truck that used to her father's.

"Wanna take my car instead? We'd get there much faster," I offered.

She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped herself. "All right, but only if I get to drive."

"But—" she shot me a look. "Fine."

I climbed into the passenger seat and handed my keys to Leah. She smiled.

The whole trip down, I couldn't stop staring at her. I had to force myself to turn myself away from her. What was getting into me?

"All right, so basically you need a whole new wardrobe," Leah stated as we climbed out of the car. "Where can we start?"

Leah grabbed my hand and dragged me off to the nearest store.

"Okay, lets see," she said after we had reached the men's department. She pulled at least ten pair of the largest shorts of the top rack.

"Go try those on and I'll look for some shirts," she told me.

I complied, trying on all ten pairs of shorts. Six of them fit. Leah insisted I buy them all along with the three shirts she had picked out.

I used the fifty dollars my dad had given me, and Leah produced a shiny credit card to pay for the rest.

"I'll pay you back when we get home," I told her, feeling embarrassed that she was buying my clothes.

"Don't worry about it. It's my treat." She flashed me a grin.

"So can we head home now?" I asked.

"We most certainly cannot!" Leah exclaimed. "You'll just ruin those clothes as quickly as your others ones. You are going to need _way _more than that!"

She grabbed my arm and dragged me off to about five other stores. I knew at once how Bella had felt when that pixie-like bloodsucker had dragged her off on shopping trips.

I instantly regretted thinking about Bella. I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to think about something else.

"Leah, I have thirteen pair of shorts, nine shirts, and three new pairs of tennis shoes. Can we please go home now?" I begged after three consecutive hours of shopping.

"One more stop," Leah told me, smiling.

I groaned.

"Come on," she grabbed my arm once again. "I think you'll like this one."

We stopped in front of a quaint little Italian restaurant called La Bella Italia. I suddenly realised how hungry I was. My stomach rumbled so loudly that everyone within a one-mile radius must have heard.

"I knew you'd like this last stop," said Leah, smiling.

We were seated immediately.

"Hello, my name is Amber, and I'll be your sever today. What can I get you to drink?" asked the waitress.

"I'll have a coke," I told her.

"Me too," said Leah.

She was back with our drinks in a minute.

"Are you ready to order?" the waitress asked.

I was starved, but I felt guilty for using all of Leah's money, so I refrained from ordering the entire menu.

"I'll have the parmesan chicken," I told the waitress.

"Jake, you can get more than that!" Leah told me, then turned to the waitress and proceeded to order three main entrees off the menu.

I scanned the menu and ordered two more meals. The waitress looked surprised but wrote it down.

"So Jake, did you have fun today?" Leah asked, smiling broadly at me.

"Besides the actual shopping part, I did enjoy myself," I told her.

Leah rolled her eyes. "Boys."

Our food came about twenty minutes later, and it took two waitresses to carry it all. Leah and I ate every single bite. I didn't dare look at the bill as Leah paid.

The sun was beginning to set as we made our way back to the car. (Leah had to help me carry all my bags) A pleasant silence filled the car as we drove back.

"Hey, Leah," I said when she pulled into my driveway. "I never thought I'd admit this, but it was nice spending time with you today." I could feel myself blushing slightly.

"I never thought I'd admit it, but it wasn't so bad spending time with you yourself," she said, smiling.

I climbed out of the car, laden with shopping bags. Leah parked my car and got into her rusty pickup. She waved as she drove down the street.

And I stood there long after Leah's truck had disappeared, smiling like a fool.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I've updated. I've been experiencing writer's block (something I'm sure most of you are familiar with.) Any ideas are welcome.

Thank you to all of you who have reviewed up to this point. I just want you all to know how much I really do appreciate your feedback (And just so you know, the more reviews I get, the sooner I will update. Your responses inspire me soooo much -hint hint- :D)

_Chapter IV_

**Leah's POV:**

My mouth hurt from smiling too much. I had smiled more today than I had in the past year. And now that I had started, I couldn't seem to stop. As I drove down the street toward Sam's house, I couldn't keep the huge grin off my face.

"So you had a good time?" Sam raised his eyebrows as I walked through the front door.

I immediately wiped the grin off my face. "It was okay."

I thought back to this morning when Sam had woken me up with a phone call. He had come up with a suitable punishment for my behavior the night before: spend the day with Jacob Black. I had groaned and swore at first, but in the end, Sam had convinced me. (It was partially because he had offered me his credit card to pay for any expenses.)

So as I had driven over to Jacob's house, I had promised myself two things. One, that I would hate ever second of the day, and two, that I would max out Sam's credit card.

I had successfully done the latter (Sam would kill me when he got the bill), but I did not expect to actually have fun. Spending the day with Jacob had been surprisingly enjoyable.

"Here's your credit card," I said, handing the card to Sam.

"What did you guys end up doing?" he asked curiously.

"Shopping," I told him.

He looked amused. "How was Jacob?"

"He was your typical guy. He started complaining before we got to the first store."

A moment later, Emily entered the room. I hadn't spoken to her since she has told me about the pregnancy. She smiled at me weakly.

I crossed the room to give her a hug.

"Hey, Em. How have you been feeling?"

"Okay," she told me. "I've been getting morning sickness lately."

"Poor, Em," I sympathized.

"Did you eat yet?" she asked me.

I snickered as I remembered the six entrées Jacob and I had shared. "Yeah, I ate a bit, but I could always eat more."

Emily smiled. "You know, most girls would be so jealous of you. You can eat anything you want and not gain a single pound."

"I guess I am sort of lucky. But I would give up my bottomless pit stomach any day just to be a normal human."

Emily smiled sadly as she patted my arm. "I made lasagna. You're welcome to stay if you want."

I ended up staying for a bit. I ate three squares of lasagna, two helpings of salad, and still had room for dessert (which happened to be blueberry pie).

"I'd better be going soon," I said after I finished my second piece of pie.

Before leaving, Sam pulled me aside.

"Did you mention to Jacob that this shopping trip was your punishment?" he asked hopefully.

"I conveniently forgot to mention it. I knew he would never go if I told him the truth," I told him. "Why?"

Sam cursed under his breath. "He is going to kill us when he finds out."

Damn. Why hadn't I thought of that? Next time we phased was going to be a nightmare.

"We'll figure something out," I tried to reassure Sam.

I climbed back into my old pickup, but instead of heading home, I turned in the opposite direction. Toward Jacob's house. I was feeling exceedingly guilty about tricking him.

Yesterday, I probably wouldn't have cared a bit about using Jacob. Becoming part of the pack had caused me to become a bit ruthless and inhuman. Any other day, I would've probably laughed at Jacob's gullibility.

But something had happened today, something I could not explain. It was the same something that had caused me to smile like a fool. That something was causing me act entirely out of character by going straight up to Jacob's front door to offer him an apology.

I laughed at my peculiar behavior. I had to look in the mirror to make sure I was still Leah.

I did not hesitate as I walked up to the door. I knocked a bit too enthusiastically. A surprised Billy Black opened the front door.

"Um, hi, Leah," Billy stumbled over his words.

"Hello, Mr. Black!" I greeted him cheerfully.

"Let me get Jake for you," he said, then shouted over his shoulder, "JAKE!"

"What, Dad?" asked Jacob, sounding annoyed, as he appeared by his father's side. "Oh."

"Hi, Jake," I smiled at him.

"Um, hi, Leah. Did you leave something in my car?" he voiced the only reasonable explanation for my sudden reappearance.

"Actually, no. But I wanted to talk to you if that's okay," I told him.

"Okay…" he said hesitantly. I couldn't blame him. My strange behavior was even confusing me.

I grabbed hold of his hands and pulled him through the door and off the porch. The dark storm clouds that had held off all day now threatened to burst.

"So what did you want to tell me?" asked Jacob curiously.

"Um, yeah," I stumbled. "I just wanted to tell you that going shopping with you was not my idea. It was Sam's. I was sorta my punishment for last night."

Jacob looked furious. I instinctively recoiled.

"But when I told you that I enjoyed it—that was the truth. I promise," I told him before he could ambush me with a rush of angry words.

Distantly, thunder rumbled ominously. Jacob looked ready to explode. I held my breath, anticipating the worst.

"Thanks for telling me, Leah," said Jacob through clenched teeth.

I looked up in surprise. He was letting me off a lot easier than I expected him to. Before either of us could say anything, the heavy storm clouds burst with sudden ferocity. Within seconds, both Jacob and I were drenched.

The rain immediately lifted the previous tension. I began to laugh deliriously for no apparent reason at all. Jacob's hearty laugh soon joined mine. I lifted my arms to the sky, graciously letting the rain soak me.

I turned to face Jacob. Our eyes locked immediately. As I stared in Jacob's warm brown eyes, I felt as though I was seeing him for the first time. He was no longer the obnoxious lovesick teenager I had labeled him as. I now saw the grieving man inside him; the one who was hurting as much as I was. I saw the Jacob who needed to be loved.

The next thing I knew, I was wrapped in Jacob's arms. It had happened so fast that it was impossible to tell who had started the embrace. Jacob and I clung to each other for only a second. Or was it years? I couldn't tell. For a moment, time had lost all meaning.

As quickly as it had happened, we broke away, looking embarrassed.

"Well, I'd better be going now," I mumbled, daring to glance back at Jacob for a split second.

He had a goofy grin on his face. When he spoke, it was almost as though he was in a trance. "Bye, Leah."

The car ride home took all of three minutes, but my mind was able to process a lot in that short amount of time.

I did not know what to make of today's events. They were too bizarre to comprehend at this point in time. Something had changed between Jacob and me. An invisible tie had been knotted between us, like a bond, a bond that could heal us both if we opened ourselves.

And then I thought of Sam. As soon as I did, I wished I hadn't. He was going to find out about today all too soon. What would he make of our impulsive embrace? Why couldn't we keep our secrets like normal people?

I parked the car in the driveway and headed up the porch steps and through the front door. As soon as I entered the kitchen, Mom attacked me a series of questions.

"How was your day? Oh, Leah! Just look at you! How did you get so wet?"

"Calm down, Mom," I told her, smiling. "I just got caught in the downpour."

A funny expression crossed Mom's face.

"What?" I asked, my smile growing. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Because you're smiling. You haven't smiled like that in ages."

I tried ineffectively to wipe the grin off my face. "Must be the weather," I accused.

Before she could say anything, I disappeared up the steps to my room, practically skipping the whole way.

I didn't bother to shower right away. Instead, I collapsed on my bed, my hair fanning out all around me. It smelled of freshly fallen rain mixed with a hint of briny ocean, a smell I had always loved.

For some reason, this made me smile again.

_What is getting into you, Leah Clearwater..._


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: So sorry it's been so long since I last updated. More writer's block (and I've been working on other stories. I've written a Breaking Dawn Parody and a few post Breaking Dawn one shots) But now I think I really know where I'm going with this story. I'm almost finished with the next chapter, so it should be up with in the next few days.

I know that Breaking Dawn took an entirely different course than this story is taking, but I've decided to pretend that the events in Breaking Dawn didn't happen, and I'm going where I want with this story. So I guess that now makes it an AU.

Oh, and just so you know, I know nothing about motorcycles, so all my terminology from this chapter comes straight from New Moon when Jacob was teaching Bella how to ride. So I'm sorry if I messed anything up. I was trying to pretend I knew what I was talking about :)

_Chapter V_

**Jacob's POV:**

I watched as Leah disappeared from my driveway for the second time that day. The feeling in my stomach confused me. It felt like butterflies, sorta like the kind you get when you're nervous, but different.

I didn't want to admit it, but I had a crush on Leah Clearwater.

It felt so wrong to feel this way. Disloyal to Bella somehow, even though she had done the same to me. It was my pride, I knew, that kept me from confronting my feelings. When I had finally admitted to Bella that I loved her, I had promised myself that I would always love her and always be there for her (unlike that damn bloodsucker) no matter what.

I had never taken anything like Leah happening me into consideration. The love I had felt for Bella was so strong, so pure, that I could never imagine having the same feelings for someone else.

So I was confused. Should I embrace my feelings? Or continue to long for something I would never have? I knew Bella would want me to be happy. I knew that choosing had been difficult for her. She had called Seth countless times to checkup on me when I was in my runaway stage. It had been hard for her. Choosing the bloodsucker had its consequences. My happiness was one of those. I knew that she had hoped for a solution that would result in happiness for all of us. I just never imagined that Leah could be the key to it all.

All I knew was that I definitely need so more time to think.

After a few minutes, I walked back into my house, still dripping from the sudden downpour, feeling very thankful that neither Leah nor I had patrol duty tonight.

* * *

"What's gotten into you?"

I was sitting by the window in the family room the next afternoon, staring into the endless forest. My dad's voice startled me. I jumped as I turned to face him.

"Oh, just tired," I told him.

He raised an eyebrow knowingly. "It's about the Clearwater girl, isn't it?"

Damn. Was it that obvious? If Dad could pick up on it that easily, how soon would the rest of the pack figure it out?

My silent response was enough. Dad smiled smugly. "Just take sometime to think about it, okay?"

But I knew he was really saying, _Be careful. You wouldn't want it to end up like last time._

But I knew that this wasn't like last time. Leah was in a whole other league than Bella. Leah was different. She had suffered through the same thing that I had.

"Kay, Dad," I promised him. "I'm gonna go out and work on my car for a bit."

I left the family room and headed out for the garage, hoping that I could get my mind of Leah for a bit.

It was late afternoon by the time I finished polishing the exterior of the Rabbit. I took a step back to admire my work. The red surface of my car gleamed in the sun. I headed back toward the garage to put my tools away. I wiped my grimy hands on my dirty t-shirt before heading back inside.

"Jacob."

I abruptly turned around to see who had spoken. Leah stood in the entrance to the garage. I wondered how long she had been standing there.

"Leah, what are you doing here?"

She shrugged. "Just out walking."

I nodded, unsure of what to say. Leah headed into the garage, peeking around. Normally, her behavior would've bothered me, but for some reason I was trying to think of reasons for her to stay rather than get rid of her.

"What's under these sheets?" Leah asked, pointing the covered objects in the corner of the garage.

"Oh," I said, turning to look to the spot I always avoided. "Just some beat up motorcycles."

"Awesome," she said, pulling off the sheet to reveal the rusty bikes. "I didn't know you rode. Do they go?"

The sight of the motorcycles brought back unwanted memories, but I gained my composure and answered. "I used to ride. It's been awhile, though. I don't know if they work anymore."

Leah ran her hand across the surface of the red bike. Bella's bike. _Think of something else, _I commanded myself.

"Can we see if they work?" Leah asked me, a sudden tone of excitement in her voice. She seemed oblivious to my pain.

"Um, I don't kno—" I started.

"Please, Jacob," Leah interrupted. She grabbed my hand and caught my gaze, a pleading look in her eyes.

And suddenly I didn't want to say no, couldn't say no. I had a sudden urge to do anything to make Leah happy.

"Have you ever ridden before?" I asked.

She smiled, almost looking surprised that she had won that argument so easily. "No, I never had." She blushed slightly. "But I've always wanted to try."

"It won't take too long to teach you," I told her. If I could teach Bella to ride, then Leah should be simple.

I purposely avoided the red bike (though I knew that was the one that Leah wanted to ride) and wheeled out the other one instead. I grabbed a container of gasoline and filled up the tank.

"Let me try it first to see if I can get it working," I said, climbing on the bike.

Despite it's lack of use, the bike ran great. I rode on the dirt road behind the garage and looped back again.

"All right," I said. "Leah, I'll climb on first and you get on behind me. I'll show you what to do. I think that would be the easiest way."

Leah nodded eagerly then climbed on behind me. Butterflies filled my stomach as I felt her arms slide around my waist.

"You ready?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said, her voice faint.

I started the bike and sped toward the dirt road, explaining to Leah what to do.

"I think I'm ready to try myself," said Leah after we had gone around a few times.

I drove us back to the garage and parked my bike.

"I'll go get the red one," I told her.

A minute later, I emerged from the garage with the red bike. I filled up the gas tank, trying not to think of the last person who had ridden the bike.

"I'll get you started and then I'll follow behind you, okay?" I told her.

Leah nodded and headed for the red bike. She climbed on.

"Okay, where's your clutch?" I asked her.

Her hand moved to the lever on the left handlebar.

I nodded. "And your brake?"

"Behind my left foot…but you said I should use the one over the throttle, right?"

I nodded again. "You can use the foot break once you get the hang of riding."

She nodded. "And the gearshift is here, right?" She nudged it with her left leg.

"Yep, now take hold of the clutch and don't let go."

Leah nodded, breathing deeply. She looked so nervous, the opposite of what I used to seeing from her. For a minute, she reminded me so much of Bella that I had to pinch myself to bring myself back to the present.

"Do you think you can kick-start it?" I asked.

"I think so," she said, jamming her foot down on the pedal.

The bike started with a roar. Leah let out a shriek as it burst forward.

"Keep holding the clutch!" I called after her.

She zoomed off and disappeared behind the garage. I quickly started my bike and caught up to her.

"You're a natural, Leah!" I called to her over the roar of the engine.

She turned her head and grinned. I couldn't help but to think of Bella's first motorcycle ride. This was going much smoother considering that Bella's had ended in a trip to the hospital.

Leah and I rode for about an hour before retiring back to the garage. The sky was painted musky purple and orangey pink as twilight approached.

"Thanks for teaching me to ride, Jake." Leah smiled, and without warning she stepped in to give me a hug.

I was shocked at first, but my arms soon slid around her waist. I rested my chin in her soft hair, forgetting the world for a moment. It felt wonderful to hold Leah, and for a moment, I never wanted to let go.

"Can I come over to ride again?" Leah murmured into my neck.

"Sure, how about tomorr—wait we have patrol duty. How about Friday evening?"

"Sounds like a date." I could feel her smiling.

After a moment, she reluctantly pulled away.

"See you later, Jake."

"Bye, Leah!" I called after her as she disappeared into the dusk.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: This is my favorite chapter so far :) I just want to thank everyone who has taken the time to review. I really appreciate it. Hope you enjoy this chapter!

_Chapter VI_

**Leah's POV:**

It was about five in the morning before I finally crawled into bed Thursday night (or rather Friday morning). I had run the late shift for patrol duty along with Sam, Paul, Brady, and Jacob. It had been quite an interesting experience.

Before phasing, Jacob and I had agreed to do our best to hide our feelings from the rest of the pack. We had decided to use my simple, yet affective was of blocking. Singing. The entire shift, Jacob and I had switched between singing 'It's a Small World' and 'I know a Song that Gets on Everybody's Nerves.'

It had resulted in a very bewildered and annoyed pack. They couldn't quite understand why Jacob had suddenly joined in with my obnoxious behavior and what we could possibly have to hide. And I swear Paul was just about ready to kill us by the end of the shift.

I had to admit I felt pretty smug as I snuggled up under the covers. But as I began to lose consciousness, I wondered how long we could keep this a secret from the pack.

* * *

"Leah, that's the fifth time I've asked you. I'm going shopping. Do you need anything while I'm out?"

My mom's voice pulled me away from daydream. I was lying in the middle of the living room floor, replaying my motorcycle ride with Jacob over and over in my head.

"Oh, um, just some shampoo, I think," I answered absentmindedly.

My mom said something else, but I didn't hear.

"Leah, I said what kind?" Mom sounded impatient.

"What kind of what?" I asked.

Mom sighed loudly. "Leah, what is getting into you?"

"Nothing," I answered too quickly.

Mom placed her hands on her hips and gave me _that _look. "Leah, one minute you're depressed, the next you're giddy, and then you completely zone out. I think there's something going on."

"I'm totally fine. Never been better," I smiled, hoping she would give up soon.

"You see!" she exclaimed. "You haven't smiled like this for ages. I think you've been smiling more in the past few days than you have in the past few months."

"Can't a girl smile?" I snapped.

"Now there's my irritable Leah."

I could tell she was joking now, but I knew that she wasn't going to give up that easily.

"Why don't you go to the store now, Mom?" I asked her. "I'll get the laundry done while you're gone."

She raised her eyebrows but said nothing. The offer was too good to pass us. She left a moment later, and I smiled smugly. But deep down I knew that evading her would not be so easy in the future.

As I promised, I did the laundry for Mom. I noticed how worn out Seth's clothes were getting. It looked like he was in need of a shopping trip. By the time I finished folding the last load, dusk was settling in. It was finally time to go to Jacob's. My stomach turned somersaults as I headed for the front door.

"Leah, where are you going?" Seth asked.

I hesitated as I answered. "Jake's. We gonna ride his motorcycles."

"Sweet. Can I come?" he asked, not even picking up on the fact that Jake and I hated each other about three days ago. Or if he did, he didn't let on.

I wanted to tell him no. I wanted to spend time with just Jacob, but the look in his eyes made me falter. I couldn't say no. Seth never got out much (except for patrol duty) and for some reason, I felt liked I owed him.

"Oh, fine," I caved, smiling.

He let out a whoop and followed me down the road to Jacob's house. It was a pleasant evening. A cool ocean breeze hung in the air and the comforting sound of crickets humming filled our ears.

When we arrived at Jacob's, he was already waiting is his garage with the bikes ready to go.

"Hey, Jake," I greeted him, resisting the urge to hug him. I couldn't be open with my feelings with Seth here. "Hope you don't mind that I brought Seth. He was down on his knees begging to go."

"Hey!" retorted Seth. "I wasn't that bad. You're just really easy to persuade."

"It's fine you brought him. He should be pretty easy to teach." Jacob winked at Seth.

"Why don't you use the red bike?" Jacob told Seth. "Leah and I can ride the other one. That is, if Leah doesn't mind."

I didn't mind at all. In fact, I didn't care if we rode the bikes at all. I knew the only reason I had been so anxious to come was the fact that I got to see Jacob again.

Seth did learn quickly. Even faster than me. Jacob simply showed him how to ride the bike and he was off before Jacob and I could even mount our bike.

"Quick learner," Jacob smiled as he climbed on.

I climbed on after him, gladly wrapping my arms tightly around his waist. I pressed my cheek to his warm back as we drove off after Seth.

It was pretty late by the time we decided to turn back. Stars were beginning to dot the purple sky as we headed for the garage.

"Seth!" Jacob called into the darkness. "We're going back to the garage, kay?"

"Okay, Jac—" He was cut off by a crash followed by a scream.

"Seth?" I called as Jacob stopped the bike and we both dismounted. "Are you okay?"

I ran to the spot where Seth lay. In the dusky light, I could see that the bike had fallen right over his left arm. Even though he could endure a lot more pain than a normal human, I could tell he was in a lot of pain. I easily lifted the bike. I gasped as I saw Seth's mangled arm.

"We have to get you home," I mumbled as I helped him to his feet.

Seth nodded, shaking as he tried to keep his balance. I grabbed his uninjured arm and draped it over my neck, offering him some support.

"I'll walk you both home," Jacob offered.

We left the bike on the path, not bothering to take it back at the moment. Seth staggered as I led him up the street toward our house. He was clenching his teeth to keep from screaming.

Finally, we made it through the front door.

"Mom?" I called, trying to keep my voice as controlled as possible.

Mom was in the kitchen, finishing up the dishes.

"What is it, honey?" she abruptly turned. There was no need for words. She screamed as soon as she saw Seth's arm.

"Seth, baby, what happened?" She took Seth's face in between he hands. I could tell she was on the verge of tears.

Seth spoke for the first time, his voice faint. "I fell. From Jake's motorcycle. The bike landed right on my arm."

"Motorcycles?" Mom's voice was edged with hysteria. "What in the world were you thinking?"

Seth smiled sheepishly.

"Motorcycles!" Mom exclaimed again. "I swear, after we get your arm taken care of, you are both grounded for a very long time. Especially you, Leah! What the hell where you thinking?!"

I knew that now was not the time to protest.

"Leah, I'm gonna take Seth to the emergency room." I knew it must be pretty bad. Mom never took us to the ER unless it was absolutely necessary. Our strange werewolf traits were just too hard to explain. "Will you go tell Sam what happened?"

I nodded as Mom led Seth out to the car.

_Sorry, Seth, _I mouthed when Mom's head was turned.

He managed to give me a thumbs up. He was a good kid.

"I'm so sorry," apologised Jacob. "This is all my fault."

"No, it's really not," I told him as we headed out the front door. "If anything, it's my fault."

"Do you want me to come to Sam's with you?" Jacob asked.

I almost accepted his offer, but then decided it would probably be better for me to go alone. "I think I'll go myself. You can go get the bikes before it gets too dark."

He nodded, and we both left the house, heading in opposite directions to our different destinations.

I casually entered Sam's house. It never crossed my mind to knock. Sam's house was just as much home to me as my own house was. I was about to call out Sam's name when I heard a sound come from the living room. Laughter.

I dared to peek, and as soon as I did, I wished I hadn't.

On the couch lay Sam and Emily, their faces close together, smiling, kissing, laughing. They were oblivious to my presence, too lost in their own world to notice anything else.

A lump rose to my throat. More than anything, I wanted to scream. Despite my feelings for Jacob, it was still unbearable for me to see Sam this way.

_Stop it, Leah, _I commanded myself. _Deep breaths. _I slowly took in a breath, shakily, trying to avoid tears. An image filled my mind, an image I had been working so hard to forget.

_We are in his bedroom, Sam and I. He smiles at me, like I am the only person in the world, the only one who matters. He kisses me then, with no hesitation, with unadulterated passion._

This was how he was kissing Emily now. Not me. Emily.

_My shirt drops to the floor, followed by my jeans, and soon Sam's clothes join the heap on the floor. He reaches for me, pulling me close to him. Our bodies fit together so perfectly, like they were meant to be together. _

Sam traced the small bump of Emily's stomach, smiling, leaning over to kiss her rounded abdomen.

_I lose my virginity that night. It is the best night I have ever had, but the most painful to remember._

Tears brimmed over my eyes, threatening to spill over. Through my blurry vision, I groped for the doorknob. I slammed it shut with a furious bang. I did not stay long enough to see Sam or Emily's reaction.

Everything I had built up, all the strength, all the callousness, all the acceptance, fell away. Suddenly I was just plain Leah, weak and vulnerable. Hurting. Unloved.

I ended up by the beach. I could not bear to go home. I plopped myself down on one of the logs by the fire pit. I forced myself to take deep breaths, almost choking in the process. The scent of salt and brine calmed me, and soon I was breathing normally.

"Leah?"

The voice made me jump. I yelped as I turned around to see who had spoken.

Jacob.

He sat down beside me. He didn't ask me what was wrong. He already knew. Jacob Black had gone through this. Jacob Black understood.

I caught his gaze. Still, he said nothing, but hesitantly, he reached out and gently touched my face, wiping my tears away. I held his gaze as he slowly began to trace the contours of my face. Eyelids, cheeks, lips.

After awhile, his hand strayed to my hair. He began to stroke it, the way I remembered my mother doing it when I had been little. I closed my eyes, and inadvertently scooted closer to him.

I savored every touch, not realising how much I craved attention, how neglected I had become. I did not know how much time had passed, but I ended up in Jacob's arms.

"Jacob," I murmured, smiling slightly.

"Yes?" he whispered quietly, his arms still wrapped around my waist.

"Would you stroke my hair again?" I did not feel guilty asking. Somehow I knew he wouldn't mind.

His fingers began to gently pull through my tangles hair. It felt so different then when I had been with Sam. Sam's touches had always been rougher, raw passion, never soft like Jacob's. I found myself enjoying the gentleness. Craving it, even. I did not want Jacob to leave me.

Soon, my eyelids began to droop. I knew I should've left then, gotten back home to see if Seth was okay, but I was too tired to care. For now, I was content to lose myself entirely, to forget my troubles completely and to love Jacob Black.

* * *

I woke up the next more to dull beams of sunlight. My clothes were slightly damp from the morning dew and my cheek was plastered against the coarse sandy ground. Jacob's arms were still wrapped loosely around my waist. I could feel his warm breath against the back of my neck. I should've been panicking, I knew. My mom would be worried, especially with Seth's accident on top of it all, and I knew the rest of the pack would probably be notified. But somehow, I didn't care. I was past caring. I began to laugh for no apparent reason at all, and once I had started, I couldn't stop.

Jacob woke up a moment later, looking confused.

"Leah? Are you alright?" He sat up, watching me roll around, laughing, with a concerned look on his face.

I didn't answer. I couldn't. I was still laughing too hard. It soon subsided, though, and I hoisted myself up and faced Jacob. Slowly, I reached out to touch his face. I rested my hand on his cheek. My gaze locked with his, and without thinking, I leaned in to kiss him.

Jacob was surprised at first, but he soon leaned into the kiss. I felt his hand move to the centre of my back and pulled my body closer to his. It felt nothing like kissing Sam. Sam's kisses had always been passionate and forceful. With Jacob, everything was soft and gentle. As I clung to him, I never wanted him to pull away. I _needed _him.

We had to break apart, though, to breathe, and even though the kiss had been gentle, we were both panting as we pulled away.

Jacob brushed my hair away from my face. I never wanted him to leave me. I knew that as soon as we were apart, my pain would come back. I could not bear it.

Jacob leaned into kiss me again, more forceful this time, but still with the same gentleness. His arms closed tightly around me, cradling me against his body. My hands strayed to his hair. I moaned softly.

"Leah, we have to go home," Jacob murmured reluctantly, his lips still hovering above mine.

Panic swept through me as I realized the moment I was dreading was inevitable.

"Don't leave me."

"Leah…" he started.

I wrapped my arms his neck. Involuntarily, tears began to pour down my cheeks.

"What is it, Leah?" he asked, a tone of concern in his voice. I felt his lips brush my cheeks, kissing the tears away.

Shakily, I took a breath and answered, "I'm scared."

Jacob abruptly stopped kissing me. His eyes locked with mine. "Scared of what?"

Without pulling away from his gaze, I answered. "Losing you."

My tears became more rapid, pouring down faster than I could control.

"Oh, Leah!" Jacob moaned, crushing me against him. I savored his touch, his strong arms that I never wanted to let go of me. "I promise you, Leah, I will _never _let you go."

And I could tell me meant every word. He would do anything in his power to keep that promise.

I turned my head so my eyes met his.

"I love you, Jacob Black." As I said the words, I realized how true they were. As I looked into his eyes, I knew I was vaguely feeling the way one did after they imprinted. For a minute, I understood why Sam had left me.

Jacob leaned into to kiss me again. "Oh, Leah, I love you, too."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update. My excuse is that I've been so busy. I hope to update more frequently in the future, but I can't promise anything.

_Chapter VII_

**Jacob's POV:**

Leah Clearwater was the last person I ever expected to fall in love with. Until this point, I had thought of her as a self-centered irritable harpy. Heck, I barley even considered her a girl. But suddenly, she was all that mattered. I realized I needed her as much as she needed me.

I held her close to my chest. Her body shook with each sob that escaped her.

"Leah, I promise it's gonna be okay."

She wiped her eyes and nodded.

"We should go back now," I said reluctantly.

We rose to our feet, and I took her hand in mine as we headed toward her house in silence.

* * *

"Oh my God, Leah! Where have you been?!" Mrs. Clearwater exclaimed as we entered the house. "We were just about to go search for you!"

I saw that the 'we' referred the entire pack, who had assembled in the Clearwater kitchen.

Mrs. Clearwater rushed over to hug her daughter, pulling Leah's hand out of my grasp in the process.

Leah's mother spouted out a stream of questions, but I wasn't focusing enough to comprehend them. Instead, I glanced at the pack. They were staring at you curiously.

"You and Clearwater?" Embry sputtered.

Quil choked back a laugh and Paul had to hit him on the back to get him breathing normally again. Jared and Seth, whose arm was now secured in a brace, stood with the younger boys, Colin and Brady, eagerly waiting to hear the details. Sam stood aloof with an unreadable expression on his face.

"How long?" Embry wondered aloud.

"Not that long," I muttered. "Can't keep anything a secret in this stupid pack…"

"That explains your obnoxious singing," said Paul.

Quil, who was no longer choking, began to tease me in a sing song-y voice. "Jacob and Leah sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S—"

I shut him up with a swift punch to the nose. He stumbled backward, blood streaming down his face.

"Jacob, that's enough," Sam spoke for the first time.

Of course it was me who he reprimanded, and not the others who had started this in the first place. I looked at the pack members, all standing before me. Their facial expressions ranged from amused to bewildered. I considered each one of these boys to be a sort of family to me, but not even one of them could accept my decision.

I abruptly turned away before I ended up punching someone else. I pushed through the crowded kitchen, groping for Leah's hand. Once I grabbed hold of it, I made a dash for the front door.

"Jake—" she started, but I ignored her, running through her lawn, down the street, running until we arrived back at the beach, the place we had started.

"Jake, I'm already in so much trouble—"

I silenced her with a kiss. She didn't protest. Her fingers wound through my hair and I felt her tongue push through my teeth.

I crushed her body to mine, forgetting to be gentle, forgetting to be careful. I moaned, my lips straying to her throat, her neck, the tops of her shoulders.

"Let's run away," she whispered, pulling away.

"I wish we could," I muttered, thinking of the disapproving glares from the pack. I brought my lips back to hers.

"But we could," Leah said, her lips still pressed against mine. "I have extended family up at the Makah Reservation. We could go there. There's nothing stopping us."

It would be easy to go. I thought of the painful memories I would be able to leave behind. I thought of never having to face the scornful pack again. But then I thought of my father. I couldn't just leave him to fend for himself. La Push was my home, despite all that had happened, and nothing would change that.

I pulled Leah's hair away from her face, tucking it behind her ear.

"We can't," I murmured. She didn't protest this time. "But we don't need to go back just yet."

I sat down on the sandy beach, pulling Leah into my lap. She rested her head against my shoulder, her lips brushing my neck. I would be content to hold her forever.

"Jacob? Leah?" A voice pulled us back to reality. Seth stood in front of us, panting slightly.

I cursed under my breath. "Sam sent you, didn't he?"

"Actually, no. I sent myself. Sam said it would be better if we left you alone." Seth informed us.

"Well he was damn right," I muttered.

Seth looked hurt, but continued, "I told Sam and the rest of them that they were being to hard on you guys, and to give it a chance."

I started at Seth, suddenly ashamed that I had snapped at him. He really cared. I pulled away from Leah and ruffled his hair.

"You're a good kid, Seth," I told him.

He smiled.

"Oh, and Mom also wanted me to tell you that you are so grounded," he said to Leah.

A smile crept onto Leah face. "Well, I was expecting at least that much."

As we headed back to the Clearwater house, a strange sensation filled me. It took me a moment to identify it as hope, a feeling that I had not felt in so long. It was a good feeling, and I smiled. Maybe everything would turn out all right.

* * *

Leah was grounded for two weeks. I, on the other hand, had gotten away with only a lecture from my dad, telling me that I had to be more responsible in the future. The exception to Leah's punishment was patrol duty. And both of us just so happened to be scheduled for tonight. Seth, Sam, and Embry were running with us.

Leah and I no longer had to hide our feelings, and it felt strange at first, especially when I got the feeling of kissing myself from Leah's memory.

_God! I can't believe this!_ Embry exclaimed as Leah began to make her mental images more graphic_. I __**never**__ wanted to know what it feels like to kiss Jacob. Sam was bad enough._

Sam was silent, for once not trying to take control. I could tell that Leah's images were slightly painful for him. Beneath the feelings imprinting had thrust upon him, I still believed he had feeling for Leah. Which was making me extremely jealous.

Leah picked up on this, too. She continued to formulate more images of our make out session (in her replay, I wasn't wearing a shirt), no doubt to torment Sam after all the pain he had put her through. I smiled smugly, adding a few images of my own.

A sharp scent pulled us away from our thoughts. It was a scent I recognised all too well: sickly sweet, burning my nostrils. It was coming from the direction of the border. Our instincts took over. We were now hunters and our enemy was within our boundaries. There was only one thing to do, one command that ran through all our heads.

Kill.

We ran through the forest, dodging trees, the wind in our faces. Suddenly I wasn't just Jacob. _I _became _We, _as our minds became one in the hunt. Leah was the fastest. She pulled ahead in the end, beating us all by about ten seconds. I expected her to have started tearing the creature to shreds, but instead, she stood still in shock.

_Leah, what are you waiting for? _Sam's voice echoed in our heads, as we reached the location of the bloodsucker.

We soon saw the reason. The bloodsucker stood exactly on the border, enough to taunt us, but not enough to be considered over. I recognised the scent of the bloodsucker as soon as I saw the face that belonged to him. Bronze hair, smoldering gold eyes, and a controlled, stoical expression that did not fit the situation we were in.

In his arms, pressed against his chest, a small human face peaked out, almost obscured by the bloodsucker's muscular biceps. Her scent was covered completely by the bloodsucker's pungent odor.

It was _her_.

Bella.

Bella Swan had come back.

* * *

A/N: Cliffie! I know. I'm evil :)


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: So sorry I left you hanging like that! I've been trying to write as often as I can, but I just don't have a lot of free time these days. I promise I will finish this story, but it might take me a while.

I hate breaking the trend, but this chapter is in Jake's POV again, not Leah's. I thought we needed a bit more insight into Jake's thoughts before we switched over to Leah. The next chapter will be in her POV.

Oh, and just so you're all clear on everything, the events in Breaking Dawn did not happen in my story, which means that there is no demon vamp child which means that Jake will not imprint on some freakish hybrid. Just wanted to make that clear.

_Chapter VIII_

**Jacob's POV:**

I couldn't move, couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. I felt as though someone had kicked me in the stomach.

Leah snarled, finally recovering from her shock. She leaned back on her hind legs, ready to pounce.

_NO! _Sam and I commanded at the same time.

Leah growled. _Why not!? He's on our land!_

_Technically, he's not, _Sam countered. _And the girl is still human. He hasn't violated the treaty in any way. _

_Still human. _The words ran through my head. They were unbelievable. A miracle. I stared at Bella's warm pink face and savored the comforting sound of her accelerated heartbeat.

_Bella. _For once, it was not painful to say her name. I could not take my eyes away from her face in fear that she would disappear, shimmer away like a mirage.

Leah let out an incomprehensible howl. Her thoughts were a turmoil of fury and anguish. She darted off into the surrounding forest, her thoughts piercing me like a blade.

_Leah, _I tried. But my voice was faint, unconvincing. My gaze was still locked with Bella's.

Leah didn't stop. She ran until her thoughts were barely audible.

_Leah. _I should've run after her. She needed me. I loved her. I had broken my promise. I was worse than Sam because I had the choice.

_Bella. _She was still soft and human. She had hurt me beyond repair, but she had come back. Bella was here. Now. For me. And I knew I still loved her.

_Leah. _Run after her.

_Bella. _Stay here for her.

_Leah._

_Bella. _

Bella.

_Can I talk to her? _I asked the bloodsucker in my mind.

He stiffened, and his arms tightened around Bella's form. He glanced around, looking at the pack. He would not let her go until the pack promised she would remain unharmed.

_You have our consent, as long as you respect the treaty, _Sam told him, nodding his head.

The bloodsucker reluctantly released Bella, fully exposing her. She was more beautiful than I remembered. Her long brown hair fell down past her shoulders, framing her pale face. A hint of blush tinted her cheeks. It was wonderful to see the blood still flowing through her.

I approached her cautiously.

"Jake," she muttered. Her voice was beautiful, sweeter than I remembered it.

She reached out to place her hands in my fur.

"Oh Jacob!" she threw her arms around my neck.

Her closeness was overwhelming. I pulled away.

_Tell her I'll be right back, _I said to the bloodsucker.

He nodded as I disappeared behind the trees. I phased quickly, fumbling with my shorts, trembling from anxiousness and excitement. I returned in my human form.

"Bella," I said softly, hesitantly approaching her.

My arms found their way around her body.

"We need to talk," I muttered into her ear.

She nodded into my chest.

I looked toward Edward for approval. He nodded curtly. Bella and I crossed over the border and began to walk along the edge of the forest. The pack retreated into the woods. Edward followed us at a distance, and I knew that was the furthest he would stray from Bella.

"Bella," I said again. I took both of her hands in mine.

"I've missed you so much, Jake." Her eyes found mine.

I had missed her even more than I had realized. "I missed you, too."

We held each other's gaze for a moment longer. Around us, the wind began to pick up. Above us, a thick layer of grey clouds concealed the stars. A storm was brewing.

"Why did you come back?" I was finally able to say the words.

"Oh, Jake." She moved closer to me. "I know it's cruel of me, but I had to see you again."

Her words brought a lump to my throat. I reached out to stroke her soft face, her human face.

"Jake." Tears edged her voice. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just cannot believe that you are still human."

She was crying now. I brushed the tears away from her wet cheeks. "I came so close. I was ready. But then I couldn't. I kept seeing your face. I couldn't go live my dream while I knew you were still suffering."

But I wasn't suffering. Not anymore, at least. Not since Leah.

_Leah. _

Her name hit me like a rock.

"Bella, do you remember Leah Clearwater?"

She looked at me with an odd expression. "Yes…why?"

I was suddenly overcome with an uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I couldn't make myself tell Bella.

My actions were easy enough to read, though. Between my fidgeting and blushing, Bella figured it out.

"Oh, Jake, that's wonderful!" Bella smiled genuinely.

I was still blushing. Why was I blushing? There was nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be embarrassed about.

"Yeah, Leah's great," I told Bella. "I love her, but Bella, I'll always love you, too."

"Jacob, I'll always love you, too."

She wrapped her arms around my neck.

"Does Charlie know you're here?" I asked, my chin resting in her hair.

"No," she mumbled. "I wasn't sure if—"

"Go see him, Bella," I cut her off. "While you're still human," I choked over the words. "He really misses you."

"I'll go see him tomorrow," she promised.

"Do you have someone to stay with?" I asked, hoping she hadn't planned that far ahead.

"I was going to stay at the Cullen's. They're packing up. We're officially 'moving' to Alaska in a few days," she told me.

Alaska. That was so far away. But it was the reasonable thing to do.

"Well, if I gets too busy over there, with the boxes and stuff, you can, you know, come and stay at my place," I mumbled.

"I'd like that a lot, Jake," she told me, smiling. "I might have to take you up on that offer."

Around us, the force of the wind picked up. The storm was only moments away. I caught Bella's gaze and smiled.

"Its so wonderful to see you, Jake," Bella told me, stepping in to hug me again.

And I gladly wrapped my arms around my best friend.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated! I meant to post this chapter yesterday, but my internet was down (stupid computers...) Anyway, if you're looking for a good fan fiction, check out Broken Vow by JennaLynne. You can find the link under my favourite stories.

Oh, and I use a bit of strong language in this chapter. I thought it was necessary for emphasis.

_Chapter IX_

**Leah's POV:**

I watched them from a distance, the wind whipping fiercely through the trees. I couldn't hear what they were saying over the wind, but words weren't necessary. I could gather enough from only watching. Jacob leaned in to give the little bitch a hug. Pain tore through my chest. Abruptly, I turned and ran. I ran until I couldn't run any longer, until my lungs felt as though they would burst, until my chest burned with a raging fire. As a wolf, I could not cry, but I could howl. I collapsed on the ground only moments later, panting heavily. I didn't know where I was.

I phased into my human form as the clouds opened and soaked my body. My naked breasts faced the sky, vulnerable and exposed. I didn't care. I was past caring. I was in too much pain to even maintain any dignity.

I sobbed openly, the rain soaking my hair, plastering it to the side of my face. I couldn't believe I had trusted that bastard. I had loved him, given him my heart, only to be shoved onto the back burner when the bloodsucker's bitch returned. She already had her bloodsucker, her true love, her other half. Why did she have to come back and torment Jacob? She couldn't have it both ways. She had to choose. Why couldn't the little slut make up her damn mind and stop ruining people's lives?

I don't know how long I lay there, sobbing. It could've been minutes or years. I didn't care. Losing Sam hadn't been this hard. It was different because deep down, even though I never wanted to admit it, it wasn't Sam's fault. Nature had been cruel. But with Jacob, it was entirely his fault, his decision, his choice. Maybe he had even meant to hurt me. I wouldn't put it past the bastard.

Finally, the rain stopped. I stared up through the trees at the clear black sky, dotted with millions of stars. It was a beautiful sight. I continued to gaze at the heavens, and for a moment, I felt a sense of hope.

And suddenly I knew what I needed to do. I would leave La Push. Why should I stay there, after all the painful memories it held for me? A new life was what I needed, a life away from the past I could not bear to remember.

I pulled myself up from the ground, trying my best to wipe the dirt and grime off my naked body. I pulled the wad of soaked clothing from the strap around my ankle and pulled the heavy garments over my body. I would go to the Makah Reservation, I decided, for a start at least. From there, I didn't know.

I began to walk, my bare feet hitting the jagged rocks and branches. It would be easier if I phased, but I didn't want the pack to know where I was. This was something I had to do alone.

After about an hour of walking, my feet were sore and bleeding, and I was shivering beneath my soaked clothing. I collapsed to the ground in defeat. I knew I would never be able to make the journey without phasing.

I stripped off my clothing and secured them to my ankle. My body quivered as it took its familiar wolf form. I braced myself for the bombardment of the packs thoughts.

It was silent. My mind was clear, empty. I could hear no other thoughts. _They must have phased back_, I thought, a mixture of sadness and relief filled me. Now I would be able to continue my journey in peace, but it seemed like the pack did not care at all about my disappearance. I thought Sam would've had at least _someone _still on patrol, looking out for me. Back in my mind, I wished would've been Jacob, admitting what a bastard he had been and begging me to come back.

But it seemed like they could care less. It was good I was leaving, I convinced myself. It was better for me, and for them. Since I knew they didn't care for me, not Jacob, not Sam, and not even my sweet little brother, it would be easier to move on.

I was able to move at a much faster pace in my wolf form. My fur offered me warmth and my padded feet could withstand the harshness of the forest floor. Through the maze of the forest, it was hard to tell where I was going, but my instincts guided me, and somehow I knew I was headed in the right direction.

After about another hour, I reached the outskirts of the Makah reservation. I padded quietly through the silent town. I knew that if I were spotted in my wolf form, I would most likely be shot.

Soon I arrived at a small old house by the edge of the forest. It was faded white in colour, with tinted with greens and browns with age. A wooden porch looped around the front of the house and all the windows were black. My grandmother's house.

I felt guilty about disturbing her at this time of night, but I desperately need a place to stay. I phased back into my human form and pulled on my damp dirty clothing. Hesitantly, I climbed up the porch steps and approached the front door. As gently as I could, I pressed my finger to the doorbell. Its shrill ring echoed through the silent night. I winced at the high-pitched sound. I must've aroused the whole reservation.

A few minutes later, an old, withered woman opened the front door. Her long grey hair was pulled back into a braid and she wore a faded patterned shawl over her lacy nightgown. She gasped as soon as she saw me.

"Grandma," I choked, on the verge of tears.

"Leah, darling!" she exclaimed. "You must come in immediately!" She shuffled me into her warm parlor. "Whatever happened to you? Did you walk here?" she bombarded me with questions.

She didn't give me a chance to answer.

"I will draw you a hot bath and then you must get some sleep. We will talk in the morning."

Grandma hurried and filled up the tub with steamy hot water and lavender scented bubble bath.

"You take as long you want," she told me. "I will get you a dry nightgown and leave it on the guestroom bed. Does Sue know you are here?"

My mother. Tears began to creep out of the corner of my eyes. I hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye. I took a deep breath as I spoke. "No, and please don't tell her," I begged.

Grandma nodded. She came over and kissed my forehead. "You will be alright? I will go back to sleep now, but if you need any thing, please wake me."

I nodded as she disappeared around the corner into her bedroom.

As soon as she was gone, I shed my dirty clothes into a pile on the bathroom floor. I slid into the steamy water. I sighed contently as my muscles relaxed in the hot water. The scent of lavender calmed as I closed my eyes and forgot the world for a moment.

I stayed in the tub until the water turned cold and brown and all the bubbles disappeared. I wrapped myself in a big fluffy towel and headed for the guest room down the hall.

I slipped into my grandma's nightgown. I was taller than her, so it was too short on me, but she was always wider than me, so it made me look like I was wearing a big white trash bag.

The bath had made me calm and sleepy, so I was grateful to crawl into bed and wrap the soft woven blanket around me. I yawned as I buried my face in the pillow, and drifted off into oblivion.


	10. Chapter 10

_Chapter X_

**Jacob's POV**

Bella slept contently on the family room couch. It had taken a lot of convincing, but Edward had finally agreed to let her stay the night. I had offered her my bed, seeing as I ended sleep on the couch most nights anyway, but she insisted that the couch was fine.

But there was no way I was going to sleep anytime soon. Not with the pain I felt from what I had done. Not with knowing that Leah was grieving and hurt, off somewhere were I didn't know. Alone.

I had wanted to run off after her. Her scent was still fresh and I could've easily tracked her location, but Sam had forbidden it.

"She needs time alone, Jacob." Sam had told me, grabbing my arm before I could phase. "Remember what you were like?"

Those days seemed an eternity away, but I could acutely recall the pain I went through, though I often tried not to remember. I had needed to be left alone and I was glad that the pack had respected that. I knew that I needed to respect Leah in return, no matter how painful it was.

But I couldn't help thinking about what she thought of me right now. It would be nothing even remotely civil, and I wanted to make amends. Even if she needed some time on her own for a while, I at least wanted her to know how much I loved her.

Bella mumbled something her sleep, pulling me back to the present. She looked so frail and fragile, engulfed by the large blanket. I couldn't imagine her as a bloodsucker. The whole appearance seemed to contradict her attributes. I found beauty in her soft human features, and the sharp flawless vampire features would somehow ruin it.

I sighed and pulled myself up from the threadbare armchair. I began to carefully walk across the dark room to my bedroom. Suddenly, my leg hit something hard and I tumbled forward, landing on the ground with a loud thud.

"Damn," I cursed, louder than I had wanted to.

Bella awoke with gasp.

"God, Jacob," she said, sucking in deep breaths. "You scared the crap out of me. Are you okay?"

"Sorry, Bells. Yeah, I'm fine. I just ran into the coffee table," I said, rubbing my shin, which had already begun to heal.

Bella suppressed a snicker. She unwrapped herself from her twisted covers and switched on the lamp behind her. She patted the opposite end of the couch, motioning for me to join her.

"Jake," she murmured, once I was situated beside her. She patted my arm affectionately. "Everything will turn out alright. I'm sorry. I ruined everything, didn't I?"

I sighed. It was partially her fault, but I could not use that as an excuse for my actions. I didn't answer and I could see the anguish building up in her.

"I hate it," Bella whispered.

I turned to her, confused. I hadn't meant to make her upset. "What?"

"This. What life has become. This stupid treaty, these stupid prejudices…the fact we're going to be enemies. I hate it. I want to be Edward's wife, but be your best friend as well. But I know it will never be that way, at least not in sense I would like it be." A single tear slid down her cheek and a myriad followed.

I shifted closer to Bella and pulled her small, shaking form into my lap. "Shh, Bella. It will be alright."

She nodded, taking in a shaky breath. "I'm sorry, Jake. I'm making this all about me when I should be focusing on you."

"No, Bella, you're right. We should be like normal friends, growing up and starting our lives, but doing it together. I should've been at your wedding. You should be able to come back to visit with be threatened to be shredded to pieces. Our lives really are messed up."

We were both silent for a moment. For a second, I let my mind wander to what life might have been like if the supernatural did not exist.

"I'm really sorry about Leah, Jake," Bella apologised. "I know its partially my fault, and I'm so sorry. But if you two are meant to be together, I know it will work out. Jake, you're amazing and you are going to make someone really happy, whether it is Leah or another girl. And Leah doesn't deserve a guy as great as you if she doesn't see that."

"Thanks, Bella," I said. "I hope you're right. Leah can be really stubborn."

"We girls may be stubborn, but we always come around in the end," Bella reassured me with a small smile.

I nodded, stifling a yawn.

"Go to bed, Jacob," she ordered me. "You can worry about this in the morning."

She leaned into give me a hug. She wrapped herself snuggly back up in her blanket and I turned off the light. I carefully headed to my bedroom, avoiding all obstacles.

Once in my room, I collapsed on my bed and drifted off within seconds.

* * *

"Jake, wake up," a voice hissed at me.

I groaned and rolled over in my sleep.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled.

"Jacob," the voice became louder, more persistent. "Jacob!"

The person grabbed hold of my shoulders and began to shake me. My eyes flew open. I saw Bella standing above me. Her hair was tangled in disarray and her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying. The events from the previous night flooded my mind.

"Jacob, Edward just called me. He's ready to go and he promised we could visit Charlie before we left," her voice cracked as she said the words.

"What time is it?" I asked, sitting up and shoving the blankets away.

"Seven thirty," Bella mumbled, a sheepish expression crossing her face.

"Damn it! Can't that bloodsucker ever take a break?"

"For him, this is reasonable. Knowing Edward, he counted the seconds until it was a late enough to call," Bella smiled. It was a sad smile that did not reach the rest of her face. It made my heart hurt to see her this way.

I climbed out of bed and slipped on the first pair of shoes I could find. "Do we have to go right this second?"

"Jake, we can't keep prolonging it. It will only make it worse. Come on."

Bella took my hand in her and led me out the door. We walked through the forest in silence, knowing that if we tried to speak, it would probably end in tears. I smelled the bloodsucker long before I saw him. He was waiting right at the border, as close as he could get without crossing the invisible line.

"I guess this is goodbye," Bella whispered, turning to face me. The tears that she has been holding back began to stream down her face.

I leaned into hug her, ignoring the bloodsuckers snarl. "I'll miss you so much, Bella."

"Maybe we'll see each other again. Goodbye doesn't have mean forever." She was sobbing now.

For us, it did. "But the treaty," I started. "Oh hell with the treaty. I'll see you again, Bella. I promise this won't be the last time we see each other."

"Jacob, you'll always be my best friend," She told me.

The tears I had been fighting broke loose. "Bella, I'm so glad I met you, and no matter what you are, vampire or human, I'll always love you."

I gave her one final hug before she crossed over the border, the line that separated our lives. Edward took her hand and I watched as she disappeared into the distance, leaving a part of her life behind to start another.

* * *

I couldn't make myself go home, so instead I headed for the beach and collapsed on the campfire logs surrounding the fire pit.

I held my breath to keep from crying again. I had solved the conflict with Bella only to have the one with Leah still left to resolve. My heart ached for her and I cursed my stupidity for letting her go.

"I thought I might find you here," the voice pulled my away from the thoughts.

I turned to see Emily standing a few feet away. She walked forward and sat down on the log beside me; he rounded belly was just beginning to show.

"Now I know what Sam said, and he's right to an extent. Everyone needs time alone now and then. Men tend to like to resolve their conflicts alone without confiding in anyone else. They like to be independent. But girls, on the other hand, often need someone, though they don't always want to admit it. They like it when someone shows they care."

I stared at her, taking in her words. She smiled and patted my arm.

"Thanks Emily," I said, smiling back. "Tell Sam I won't be back until later. There's something I have to do."

Emily nodded and rose from the log. As soon as she was out of sight, I took off my clothes and tied my shorts to my ankle. I phased into my wolf form and sniffed the air for Leah's scent. As soon as I found it, I began to run.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: So sorry for the long wait. I just want to thank JennaLynne so much for helping me with this chapter. Without her, it probably would've been weeks before I got this chapter written :)

This is the last chapter for Jake and Leah, but I'm planning to continue this and make it a trilogy, telling first Embry then Seth's story. (They won't be entirely dependent on the first one, but a few events, such as Emily's pregnancy and the fact that Jake and Leah are together will stay the same) Let me know what you think and I'll post more information on this next chapter.

I just want to say thanks to all of you have reviewed up to this point. I really appreciate it. It has been a pleasure writing for you all.

_Chapter XI_

**Leah's POV:**

I stumbled into the kitchen at about nine the next morning. I was greeted by the mouth watering smell of chocolate chip pancakes, my favourite breakfast.

"Thanks, Grandma," I mumbled, forcing a smile, as she placed a large plate of pancakes in front of me.  
She rubbed my shoulder affectionately. She walked to the opposite end of the table with her cup of coffee to sit down, saying nothing.

I picked at my food, unable to eat (for once in my life).

Grandma sighed, sipping her coffee. She spoke a moment later. "Leah, whatever boy did this to you, he's not worth, and if he is, then it will only be a matter of time before he gets his butt over here, begging you for forgiveness."

My jaw dropped open. "How did you know?"

"Leah, honey, it doesn't take a genius to put two and two together. I might be ancient, but I can still remember a thing or two about young love."

A smile crept onto my lips. "Do you really think he'll come looking for me?"

"He'd be a fool if he didn't," Grandma reassured me. "Now eat your pancakes. No use starving yourself over grief."

I dug my fork into my pancakes, suddenly realising how hungry I was. I quickly devoured the whole plate.

"Now that's my girl," said Grandma. "I have a few errands I have to run. Will you be okay here by yourself?"

"I'll be fine, Grandma," I reassured her. "Thanks for everything."

"Anytime, Leah, darling. Remember, you're welcome here anytime," she smiled, walking around the table to give me a hug.

After she left, I wandered around the familiar house. It had been awhile since I had last been here; ever since Seth and I discovered we were werewolves, we'd pretty estranged ourselves from the rest of the family.

The living room was lined with photos, some of people I recognised, some of people I had never seen in my life. My eyes fell on a black and white picture of two little girls in traditional Native American garb. Emily and me.

My throat tightened as I remembered back to a time when life was so simple. Many times I wished it could've remain that way.

I sighed, wandering back into the kitchen, wishing I had something else to change into rather than this frumpy night gown. I knew that the clothes I wore here were hopelessly ruined, and I would never be able to fit into anything else of my grandma's.

On the counter sat the plate of left over pancakes. Absentmindedly, I lifted a cold pancake from the plate. I folded it in half, and stuffed it into my mouth, chewing slowly, savoring the flavor I'd missed when I'd devoured my first helping.

And then I began to cry. I cried hard, tears falling fast and hot down my cheeks, I shook with each breath, unable to think of anything except Jake. The pain Sam had caused me in the past seemed petty compared to what I was feeling now.

_I promise you, Leah, I will never let you go. _I repeated his words over in my mind, feeling bitter. I had no tears left. Sam had never promised to not leave me. I knew he loved me, but he, at least, had no choice in the matter. Jacob did. And he chose Bella.

But a part of me still wanted to love him. Wanted him back so he could hold me in his arms.

I sighed, leaving the kitchen and heading out to my grandma's wrap-around porch. I sat on one of the damp, metal chairs, pulling my knees up close to my chest.

"Leah," a voice panted from behind me.

I abruptly rose to my feet, wheeling around to see Jacob standing before me. A turmoil of emotions ran through me: loathing, pain, joy, remorse…

Hesitantly, he approached me. "I wanted to talk to you. Leah, I-"

I punched him. It happened so quickly I didn't even realize what I had done at first. Jake stumbled backward, shocked, holding his face.

"I guess I deserved that," he mumbled, pulling his hands away. He was bleeding minimally.

I only smirked.

 "I need to talk to you…but if you're going to hit me again, please get it out of your system now," he said.

"I think I'm done…but no promises." I wasn't going to let him get off that easily.

"I didn't pick Bella," he said simply. "When I saw she was still human, it was, well, a miracle. Leah, I loved her…still love her, but like a sister. She's my best friend, and I promise that's all she'll ever be."

I looked at Jacob and caught his gaze. Something inside me told me he spoke pure truth. I was hesitant to trust anyone after all the pain I had been through, but I wanted so desperately to believe him. For once, I decided to trust my instincts.

Without thinking, I sprung toward Jacob. He stumbled backward at first (I think he was afraid I was going to punch him again) I threw myself into his arms, wrapping my legs around his waist, crushing my lips against his.

"I thought you were still mad at me," he whispered when we finally surfaced for air.

"I am," I panted, biting at his bottom lip.

"I like it when you're mad then," he chuckled.

"Trust me…" I said between kisses. "You won't…always…be so…lucky."

His lips burned everywhere they touched. My head spun from the very taste of him. I never want to let go, never wanted to be void of him again. The pain I had felt in his absence had been unbearable, and I didn't know if I could face it again. I savored every touch, every kiss, his mere presence, as we clung to each other for what felt like an eternity.

Eventually, we broke apart.

"I love you so much, Leah," Jacob whispered, sincere emotion lining his voice.

I locked my eyes with his. Imprinting may have been the perfect sort of love, two people bound together by a force so strong it could not even be described. They were more than soul mates, and their love was destined to be. But it was idealized and rarely happened in real life. Jacob and I would have to work for our love. We would go through trials and pain that could not be masked by the power of imprinting. We had the power of choice. We could choose to make our love work, and to me, that sort of love seemed even stronger than imprinting.

"I love you, too, Jacob Black."

And he cupped my face in his hands, bending down to kiss me once again.


	12. Author's Note

_**A/N: **So I've decided to separate these two stories because I won't be finishing the Embry one for a while. You can now find it under my profile under the title of **Carpe Diem. **Thanks for bearing with me. _

~Permanent Rose~


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